On Saturday 23 November, the University supported the Wrapathon event with 55 volunteers from the Students' Union.
The Scala Hall in Oldfield Park was used to host the event. It offers a large spacious area that student groups can book to use through the Students' Union. It is also used for community events and a base for the Student Community Partnership (SCP) team.
By the end of Sunday, all Wrapathons (in Ipswich, Bath and Swindon) wrapped 14,000 presents ready for distribution.
The Wrapathon event was organised by:
The Plant and Hire Aid Alliance, a group of companies in the plant industry acting together to support the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.
The Friends of Oleksandriya (The FofO), a charitable association that promotes peace and friendship between communities.
Zhenya Shkil, one of The FofO's founding members, is a local to Bath and originally from Ukraine. Zhenya is now the official representative for Oleksandriya in the UKJ and explains, “Oleksandriya is a small city of similar size to Bath, with surrounding villages, similar to North East Somerset. It has become a major centre for refugees and the injured and needs help to cope with the influx of people.”
A friendship agreement has recently established ties with the city. Last month the University and The FofO organised for the first World Champion of parkour, Bohdan Kolmakov, to give a fantastic demonstration of his unique skills on campus.
Speaking about the Wrapathon, Zhenya Shkil says, “I was particularly impressed with the Ukrainian Society, that was organised by Ukrainian students of Bath Uni only this year. They showed amazing commitment and worked non-stop until we finished."
Jane Loveys, Director of Campus Services, said, "We were delighted to be able to support such a wonderful project by providing a central location to allow the local community to come together as students, staff and residents, to spend the day wrapping gifts for the children in Ukraine."
Ryan Bird, Chief Executive of the Students’ Union adds, “the Students’ Union was delighted to support this event from this refurbished space in Oldfield Park. It was fantastic to see our students playing a role in this community-led event. The dedication and hard work of all involved embodies the true essence of this time of year.”
The charity is still raising funds to pay for delivery of the presents in time for Christmas. If you would like to help, you can make a donation on the GoFundMe page linked below.